Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch (1 day, 1 night – Nov 25-Nov 26)

Christchurch is a town that looks like it was transplanted directly from Stratford Upon Avon in the United Kingdom. Christchurch has a river meandering through it with quaint bridges and an Anglican church. This small city is the starting point for most adventures into the south island of New Zealand with tourists picking up their rental cars and driving out of town to see the natural beauty. We recommend staying in Christchurch for just one day...at the very most! Dee Dee and I walked around town the afternoon we arrived...and we saw everything before sundown at 9:00pm.

Where to Stay
Again, we stayed at a Quest Christchurch managed apartment that we found on Travelocity. The Quest is near Cathedral Square with several restaurants close by. Unfortunately, this hotel is in an area called Cathedral Junction...which is a large building complex that has the Christchurch trolly passing through it ever 20 minutes. So, if you are unlucky to have a room that faces the trolly tracks you will hear the trollies pass buy until early a.m. hours. The hotel is nice...just be sure your room is not near the tracks!

What to Do
There is not much to do or see here beyond a full day of walking around town. Fortunately everything is within walking distance. Be sure to go into the cathedral which is one of the oldest, if not THE oldest in New Zealand and is similar to the grand cathedrals in the U.K...only smaller! Take some time to walk along the river bank, walk across the bridges and appreciate the stone buildings. You will also see statues of local dignitaries including Thomas Cook, the "founder" of New Zealand for the British Crown. Stop off for dinner at the strip of restaurants along the river. They all have outdoor seating which makes for a great place for a pint of beer and people watching!

Where to Eat
We did no find too many unique restaurants there for we were in Christchurch for less than 24 hours. However, the restaurants near the river (which is close to Cathedral Square) are quite nice. Look at the menus and go to the one that catches your eye.

There are a few hidden gems though that we read about, but were not able to go to. If you have the time, make reservations for . is a small restaurant and was not able to take Dee Dee and I as walk-ins. This place looked GREAT!!!!